Inspecting the content of dropped packets often aids network administrators and information technology (IT) personnel in debugging network issues. For example, by identifying a missing or incorrect field within a packet's header, an administrator may be able to determine that a particular network device or connection is malfunctioning. In addition, inspecting the content of packets that have been dropped due to a packet filter rule may enable network security personnel to detect and track security threats.
Traditional technologies for analyzing dropped packets may involve capturing and/or printing the content (e.g., header fields, payload, etc.) of each packet that is received at a network interface. These traditional technologies may then parse this content to identify packets that are to be dropped. Unfortunately, capturing the content of each packet that is received at a network interface may be time-consuming and/or resource-intensive. For example, a conventional packet analysis system may implement and/or require different logic and/or tools for each type of packet received at a network interface. This problem may be exacerbated during heavy network loads.
The instant disclosure, therefore, identifies and addresses a need for additional and improved apparatuses, systems, and methods for debugging network devices based on the contents of dropped packets.